PRESS RELEASE: Minnetonka Democracy Advocates Are Fighting to Save Ranked Choice Voting
For Immediate Release
Contact: Barb Westmoreland, Campaign Co-Chair, Minnetonka Vote NO on Repeal - Save Ranked Choice Voting, barb.westmoreland@yahoo.com, 952-935-5180
Minnetonka, MN (November 2, 2023) — Minnetonka residents will vote on a City Charter amendment this November to repeal ranked choice voting (RCV) and revert back to the old two-step municipal primary system in place prior to 2020. A group of Minnetonka residents and democracy advocates are organizing to reject the amendment and save RCV.
“55% of Minnetonka voters just adopted RCV three years ago in a high turnout presidential election. Why would we go back to the old primary system that excluded so many voters and was more costly for taxpayers?” asked Minnetonka resident and Vote No Campaign Co-Chair Barb Westmoreland. “RCV is easy, efficient, saves money and increases turnout. It’s better for voters and better for Minnetonka.”
Prior to the adoption of RCV in 2020, Minnetonka required a city primary in August anytime there were more than two candidates on the ballot, and then held a second general election in November with the top two candidates from the primary. Minnetonka has held ten municipal primaries between 1985 and 2020, and without RCV, would have held two more primaries in 2021 and 2023, at an average cost of $50,000 each. Only a small percentage of the city's voters showed up to vote in those August primaries, typically only five percent, and that small number of Minnetonka voters would decide which candidates advanced to the general election ballot, preventing the larger voter pool in November from weighing in on all the candidates.
“That primary discouraged candidates from running and effectively limited those selecting our city leaders to a small, elite group that showed up to vote in August,” explained Vote No Campaign Co-Chair Mary Pat Blake. “RCV eliminates the need for a separate primary election and opens up our local elections so that more candidates are running and more voters are weighing in on the full slate of candidates in November, when turnout is higher and more inclusive of our whole community.”
Minnetonka’s first ranked-choice election in 2021 demonstrated the positive impact of RCV:
Minnetonka had 12 candidates running for three offices, the most candidates ever for a Minnetonka City election; only to be topped by this year’s races with 13 candidates.
Voter turnout increased dramatically: 52% higher than the average for general city council elections since 1985 and 95% higher than the average over the past 10 years.
Minnetonka voters understood RCV and had a good or excellent experience using it.
The city’s first ranked-choice election had a 99.9 percent valid ballot rate.
Despite this success, RCV opponents are seeking to reverse that progress in an off-year election, when historically less voters participate. That’s why a group of Minnetonka residents and democracy advocates, led by Barb Westmoreland and Mary Pat Blake, organized a Vote No campaign to educate Minnetonka voters, fight the repeal and save ranked choice voting.
Ranked choice voting is simple. Voters rank the candidates in order of preference: first choice, second choice, third choice. If a candidate has more than 50% of the first-choice votes, they win. If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those voters have their second choice counted. This process continues until one candidate reaches a majority and wins. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they like but ranking empowers voters to have backup choices, in case their favorite candidate is eliminated. RCV ensures majority winners without the hassle and expense of a high-cost, low-turnout municipal primary.
Senator Kelly Morrison (SD 45) who represents the northern half of Minnetonka in the state senate authored a bill last session to expand RCV to state and federal elections and give more cities the option of using this reform. “Ranked choice voting is an antidote to so much of the divisiveness that is threatening our democracy. It encourages broad coalition building, discourages negative campaigning, and gets rid of the spoiler problem,” Sen. Morrison explained. “It is exactly what we need in this moment for a stronger democracy.”
Senator Steve Cwodzinski (SD 49), representing the southern half of Minnetonka in the state senate and co-author of the RCV bill, explained why he is an enthusiastic supporter of the campaign to save ranked choice voting in Minnetonka: “Ranked choice voting adds a dose of civility to campaigns and allows our elections to focus on what we can do together, rather than tearing each other apart. RCV is a step in that direction, and we must do everything we can to keep that progress moving forward –– not only for us, but also for our children and grandchildren.”
In addition to the state senators representing Minnetonka, key organizations, current and former elected officials, and community leaders from across the political spectrum are actively supporting the effort to save RCV in the city, including Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Fmr. Governor Arne Carlson, State Representative Laure Pryor, Former Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the Democratic Farmer Labor Party, the Minnesota Independence Alliance Party and Minnesota Green Party. For a full list of supporters see: rcvminnetonka.org/supporters.
“Ranked choice voting is a key solution to the increasing polarization and dysfunction in our political system that, unfortunately, is also affecting our local elections,” explained University of Minnesota Professor Michael Minta. It is a reform promoted by business leaders and democracy experts. In June 2020, the bipartisan Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, a project of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, recommended RCV as a key reform to strengthen our democracy.
Over 50 jurisdictions across the country use ranked choice voting, including five cities in Minnesota as well as the states of Maine and Alaska, and we know from polling here in Minnesota and around the country that voters consistently say that RCV is simple to use, and that they like it and want to keep using it.
By voting NO on repeal the city’s voters will save RCV in Minnetonka, reject an attempt to circumvent the majority of voters in an off-year election, and reinforce the democracy reform movement in Minnesota and across the country.
In addition to the city question on RCV, Minnetonka voters will use ranked choice voting to elect the city’s four ward councilmember seats. You can find out more about the city council races and ranked choice voting at https://www.minnetonkamn.gov/government/elections and rankyourvote.org/minnetonka.
Minnetonka Vote NO on Repeal Campaign Co-Chairs Barb Westmoreland and Mary Pat Blake are available for interviews. Contact Barb Westmoreland to schedule.
More information about Ranked Choice Voting can be found at https://www.rcvminnetonka.org/ and RankYourVote.org.
The Vote No on Repeal Campaign to Save RCV is supported by the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting Minnetonka.
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